Explosively driven ferroelectric generator for compact pulsed power systems

Recently, the characteristics of the explosively driven magnetohydrodynarnic generators [1] and ferromagnetic generators [2] that can be used as initial sources of compact power systems were presented by the authors. In this paper, we examined the electro-hydrodynamic properties of the PZT 56/44 ceramics that were depoled by the explosively driven shock wave in a ferroelectric generator (FEG). Small-sized FEGs had been manufactured and the electric cur-rents and load voltages for the input stress of 6.5 GPa and 12 GPa and load resistances from 10 to 1,080 Omega were measured. Maximum values of power (0.7 MW) and total energy (3.7 J) were obtained at the load resistance of 1,080 Omega and 125 Omega, respectively when the input stress was 12 GPa. For evaluating the experimental current waveforms two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulation which shows shock wave propagation into the PZT ceramics and a simple semi-empirical theoretical calculation have been performed.